Buyer abuses returns and sends back an empty envelope and eBay gives them a refund!!!

[everyfone-uk]

eBay are complicit in this fraud. I have no recourse. Buyers can send back whatever they like and eBay will force the seller to give them a refund . And then the buyer can leave negative feedback and eBay wont remove it. 

- No seller protections anymore

-eBay are helping fraudsters to commit fraud with their " Buyer is always right" approach

-Its become so easy to commit fraud on eBay by abusing returns that its become impossible to run a Business on eBay.

-I report to eBay every buyer who commits fraud and nothing happens..

[4_bathrooms]

Is the return case still open?

[plpmr]

Can't see any negative feedback.

[everyfone-uk]

No the return case is not open. After a call with eBay we decided that the only thing i could do was to refud the buyer because all it would have taken was the buyer to ring eBay and then they would have closed it in favour of the fraudulent buyer ( because the return was delivered) AND i would have received a " Cases closed with seller resolution" defect which would have further damaged my Business. The fraudulent buyer must know how the eBay return process is very weak and all you have to do is to ensure the return is marked as delivered and then eBay will always give the buyer a refund, even if they buyer just sends back a old nescafe coffee lid ( like they did in my case). SELLERS BEWARE OF THIS SCAM ( Its an old scam but it works  and eBay have made it even easier now they now longer protect sellers)

[the_book_seekers]

You won't see anything happen to the buyers you report unless they disappear from the site which may mean ebay has kicked them off. ebay won't act on a single report, but has a level (which is not disclosed) where they will act. There have been threads from buyers who have lost the right to the money back guarantee because of their behaviour. 

[everyfone-uk]

I dont know how anyone can sell anything of high value anymore on eBay without exposing themselves to this easy scam..

[4_bathrooms]

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@everyfone-uk wrote:

After a call with eBay we decided that the only thing i could do was to refud the buyer because all it would have taken was the buyer to ring eBay and then they would have closed it in favour of the fraudulent buyer ( because the return was delivered) AND i would have received a " Cases closed with seller resolution" defect which would have further damaged my Business. 

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You should have asked for advice here before contacting customer services. Once a seller has volunteered a refund that's it - eBay washes their hands of any responsibility. The advice you were given wasn't entirely correct - once the return tracking shows the item has been delivered back to the seller the seller has 3 days to either issue a refund or report a problem (it's an automated process).

At the very bottom of the return case there would have been a "Report a problem" link. Clicking this and following the process closes the return case and opens a new case reporting the buyer in the process. If the item was valuable you would have needed to obtain a reference number from Action Fraud before using the "Report a problem" link; provision of an AF report/reference number would almost have guaranteed eBay reimbursing you out of their own pocket.  

[everyfone-uk]

Thanks @4_bathrooms

You are right..i should have waited. It was my impatience to just " get it sorted quickly"

and like my wife ( and you said) got a number from action fraud. It was low value so i just wanted to move on...but next time i will get the action fraud ref. Thanks thats good advice!.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Ebay tends to take the word of the buyer.

Sadly not all buyers are honest.

I sold some audio gear for £50.

The buyer returned a lump of wood with nails in it !

He got a refund, kept the item and left a neg.

However I did inform police about wood with nails in it.

They went to see him and his wife said she sent it.

She got a caution and he got away with it.

[*knight-rider*]

Don't you get bored telling that story 😂😂😂